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Poll: Roger Goodell has 39% approval rating among NFL players

Roger Goodell governs a league where a majority of players disapprove of his work. (Mario Tama, Getty Images)

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell governs a league in which a majority of players disapprove of the way he does his job. This, according to a recent poll conducted by USA Today, which concluded that just 39% of NFL players approve of Goodell's work as commissioner.

The poll was given anonymously to 300 current NFL players from December 19 to January 2nd. There is a 5% margin of error in the poll. USA Today reports that, among other things, many respondents pointed to Goodell's liberal use of fines for violent hits on quarterbacks and receivers as reasons for their disapproval.

Goodell has faced numerous obstacles as commissioner in recent years, and has gotten criticism from all sides for his handling of the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal and the league's lockout in 2011. The commissioner has also had to deal with growing concerns regarding the safety of football itself, with numerous former players showing signs of dementia and brain damage, and the notable suicide of former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, whose family is suing the NFL in a wrongful death lawsuit.